Title Examiners, Abstractors, and Searchers
23-2093.00
Updated 2025

Search real estate records, examine titles, or summarize pertinent legal or insurance documents or details for a variety of purposes. May compile lists of mortgages, contracts, and other instruments pertaining to titles by searching public and private records for law firms, real estate agencies, or title insurance companies.

Sample of reported job titles: Abstractor, Commercial Title Examiner, Searcher, Title Abstractor, Title Agent, Title Examiner, Title Officer, Title Searcher

Occupation-Specific Information

Tasks

  • Examine documentation such as mortgages, liens, judgments, easements, plat books, maps, contracts, and agreements to verify factors such as properties' legal descriptions, ownership, or restrictions.
  • Examine individual titles to determine if restrictions, such as delinquent taxes, will affect titles and limit property use.
  • Prepare reports describing any title encumbrances encountered during searching activities and outlining actions needed to clear titles.
  • Copy or summarize recorded documents, such as mortgages, trust deeds, and contracts, that affect property titles.
  • Verify accuracy and completeness of land-related documents accepted for registration, preparing rejection notices when documents are not acceptable.
  • Prepare lists of all legal instruments applying to a specific piece of land and the buildings on it.
  • Read search requests to ascertain types of title evidence required and to obtain descriptions of properties and names of involved parties.
  • Obtain maps or drawings delineating properties from company title plants, county surveyors, or assessors' offices.
  • Confer with realtors, lending institution personnel, buyers, sellers, contractors, surveyors, and courthouse personnel to exchange title-related information or to resolve problems.
  • Enter into record-keeping systems appropriate data needed to create new title records or to update existing ones.
  • Retrieve and examine real estate closing files for accuracy and to ensure that information included is recorded and executed according to regulations.
  • Prepare and issue title commitments and title insurance policies, based on information compiled from title searches.
  • Direct activities of workers who search records and examine titles, assigning, scheduling, and evaluating work, and providing technical guidance as necessary.
  • Determine whether land-related documents can be registered under the relevant legislation, such as the Land Titles Act.
  • Assess fees related to registration of property-related documents.
  • Summarize pertinent legal or insurance details, or sections of statutes or case law from reference books for use in examinations or as proofs or ready reference.
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Technology Skills

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Occupational Requirements

Work Activities

  • Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
  • Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
  • Working with Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
  • Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
  • Analyzing Data or Information — Identifying the underlying principles, reasons, or facts of information by breaking down information or data into separate parts.
  • Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.
  • Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
  • Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.
  • Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
  • Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others — Translating or explaining what information means and how it can be used.
  • Monitoring Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.
  • Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
  • Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.
  • Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
  • Communicating with People Outside the Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.

Detailed Work Activities

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Work Context

  • Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 100% responded “Extremely important.”
  • E-Mail — 96% responded “Every day.”
  • Indoors, Environmentally Controlled — 96% responded “Every day.”
  • Face-to-Face Discussions with Individuals and Within Teams — 85% responded “Every day.”
  • Determine Tasks, Priorities and Goals — 79% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Freedom to Make Decisions — 77% responded “A lot of freedom.”
  • Spend Time Sitting — 53% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Frequency of Decision Making — 62% responded “Every day.”
  • Time Pressure — 63% responded “Every day.”
  • Importance of Repeating Same Tasks — 52% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Impact of Decisions on Co-workers or Company Results — 51% responded “Very important results.”
  • Telephone Conversations — 68% responded “Every day.”
  • Work With or Contribute to a Work Group or Team — 53% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Deal With External Customers or the Public in General — 51% responded “Extremely important.”
  • Coordinate or Lead Others in Accomplishing Work Activities — 42% responded “Very important.”
  • Contact With Others — 37% responded “Constant contact with others.”
  • Spend Time Making Repetitive Motions — 32% responded “Continually or almost continually.”
  • Consequence of Error — 34% responded “Extremely serious.”
  • Level of Competition — 54% responded “Moderately competitive.”
  • Work Outcomes and Results of Other Workers — 33% responded “Limited responsibility.”
  • Written Letters and Memos — 27% responded “Every day.”
  • Duration of Typical Work Week — 64% responded “40 hours.”
  • Degree of Automation — 48% responded “Highly automated.”
  • Physical Proximity — 61% responded “Slightly close (e.g., shared office).”

Experience Requirements

Job Zone

Title
Job Zone Two: Some Preparation Needed
Education
These occupations usually require a high school diploma.
Related Experience
Some previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is usually needed. For example, a teller would benefit from experience working directly with the public.
Job Training
Employees in these occupations need anywhere from a few months to one year of working with experienced employees. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.
Job Zone Examples
These occupations often involve using your knowledge and skills to help others. Examples include orderlies, counter and rental clerks, customer service representatives, security guards, upholsterers, tellers, and dental laboratory technicians.
SVP Range
(4.0 to < 6.0)

Training & Credentials

State training
Local training
Certifications
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State licenses

Apprenticeship Opportunities

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Worker Requirements

Skills

  • Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
  • Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
  • Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions, or approaches to problems.
  • Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.
  • Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
  • Complex Problem Solving — Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
  • Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.
  • Active Learning — Understanding the implications of new information for both current and future problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Coordination — Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
  • Monitoring — Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.

Knowledge

  • English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
  • Law and Government — Knowledge of laws, legal codes, court procedures, precedents, government regulations, executive orders, agency rules, and the democratic political process.
  • Administrative — Knowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
  • Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
  • Computers and Electronics — Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.

Education

How much education does a new hire need to perform a job in this occupation? Respondents said:

  • High school diploma or equivalent required for some jobs
  • Post-secondary certificate required for some jobs
  • Bachelor’s degree required for some jobs

Worker Characteristics

Abilities

  • Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
  • Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
  • Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
  • Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.
  • Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
  • Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
  • Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
  • Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
  • Inductive Reasoning — The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
  • Problem Sensitivity — The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing that there is a problem.
  • Flexibility of Closure — The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
  • Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Interests

Interest code: CE
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  • Conventional — Work involves following procedures and regulations to organize information or data, typically in a business setting. Conventional occupations are often associated with office work, accounting, mathematics/statistics, information technology, finance, or human resources.
  • Enterprising — Work involves managing, negotiating, marketing, or selling, typically in a business setting, or leading or advising people in political and legal situations. Enterprising occupations are often associated with business initiatives, sales, marketing/advertising, finance, management/administration, professional advising, public speaking, politics, or law.

Work Styles

  • Cautiousness — A tendency to be careful, deliberate, and risk-avoidant when making work-related decisions or doing work.
  • Integrity — A tendency to be honest and ethical at work.
  • Attention to Detail — A tendency to be detail-oriented, organized, and thorough in completing work.
  • Dependability — A tendency to be reliable, responsible, and consistent in meeting work-related obligations.

Workforce Characteristics

Wages & Employment Trends

Median wages (2024)
$26.43 hourly, $54,980 annual
State wages
Local wages
Employment (2024)
57,400 employees
Projected growth (2024-2034)
Slower than average (1% to 2%)
Projected job openings (2024-2034)
5,400
State trends
Top industries (2024)

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024 wage data and 2024-2034 employment projections . “Projected growth” represents the estimated change in total employment over the projections period (2024-2034). “Projected job openings” represent openings due to growth and replacement.

Job Openings on the Web

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More Information

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